The World Gold Council unveiled today the long-awaited “exposure draft” of the so-called conflict-free gold standard, which aims to crack down on gold tainted by conflict and human rights violations, such as the ongoing supply coming from the rebel forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gold is still the king of commodities when it comes its role as a diversifier and foundation asset in the portfolios of euro-based investors, says the new report "Gold as a strategic asset for European investors," commissioned by The World Gold Council (WGC).